Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, 338 pages

In the 1920s, a series of murders in Osage County brought the attention of the fledgling Bureau of Investigation. The people being killed were all Osage tribal members, and all of them wealthy from the mineral rights they held over the Osage tribal lands, which at the time were rich with oil. Killers of the Flower Moon details several of the murders, the many failed investigations, and the finally successful investigation that led to the conviction of one of the more notorious killers. While doing that, the book also shows how the prejudices of the era (some that are sadly still with us) impacted generations of the Osage. This is a fascinating historical true crime book, well worth a read, and I'm kicking myself for not reading it before now.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann  338 pp.

Patrick gave a good description of this book when he blogged about it. I don't have much more to add other than it is one more piece of the history of appalling treatment of Native Americans in this country. The author's research was very well done.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, 338 pages.
When oil was discovered on land that had been ceded to the Osage tribe after they had been forced off the much larger area they had previously held members of the tribe became very rich. Fortunately for the members of the tribe, mineral rights had been part of the treaty they had signed. Unfortunately, the courts had appointed white guardians to "protect" the Osage and their fortunes. In the early 1920s, over the course of a couple of years, several Osage tribe members were murdered. Some of their allies and some investigators were murdered as well. Grann does an excellent job of recounting the events, the investigations, and the trials. He also points the finger at several members of the community who were not indicted. A fascinating read about an entire community seemingly willing to murder their neighbors because of their race and their property. Narrated by Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, and Danny Campbell.